Blue Preview: Mark Stoops is ‘on the spot’ vs. South Carolina

Mark Story
·2 min read
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No. 13 Kentucky vs. South Carolina

When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

TV: SEC Network

Announcers: Play-by-play, Tom Hart; analysis, Jordan Rodgers; sideline, Cole Cubelic

Radio: WLAP-AM 630, WBUL-FM 98.1.

Satellite Radio: XM Channel 190, Sirius Channel 137

Records: Kentucky (4-1, 1-1 SEC); South Carolina (3-2, 0-2 SEC)

Series history: South Carolina leads 18-14-1 but Kentucky has won seven of the past eight meetings.

Most recent meeting: The Kentucky defense dominated South Carolina in a 16-10 win on Sept. 25, 2021, at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C.

Line: Kentucky is favored by 10.5 points.

The story line

Coming off a self-sabotaging 22-19 loss at Mississippi in which Kentucky suffered from myriad, self-inflicted wounds, the Wildcats will seek to overcome any hangover and extend their recent control over their series with SEC East foe South Carolina.

Kentucky star running back Christopher Rodriguez (24) will make his 2022 home debut Saturday when the No. 13 Wildcats play host to SEC East foe South Carolina. Rodriguez missed the season’s first four games due to a suspension.
Kentucky star running back Christopher Rodriguez (24) will make his 2022 home debut Saturday when the No. 13 Wildcats play host to SEC East foe South Carolina. Rodriguez missed the season’s first four games due to a suspension.

The number to watch

The turnover margin. Kentucky vs. South Carolina is a battle of teams who each have shown a knack for giving the football away. Out of 131 FBS teams, UK is 101st in turnover margin at minus-3. South Carolina is even worse, standing 122nd in turnover margin at minus-6. Determining Saturday night’s victor could be dictated by whether the Wildcats or the Gamecocks can take care of the ball.

Kentucky quarterback Will Levis (7) loses the first of two crucial, late-game fumbles that he lost in UK’s frustrating 22-19 loss at Mississippi last week.
Kentucky quarterback Will Levis (7) loses the first of two crucial, late-game fumbles that he lost in UK’s frustrating 22-19 loss at Mississippi last week.

The big threat

Spencer Rattler. The former Oklahoma Sooners star quarterback is off to a mixed start playing for ex-OU assistant Shane Beamer at South Carolina. On the plus side, the 6-foot-1, 215-pound product of Phoenix is completing 64.9 percent of his passes this season and has thrown for 1,121 yards and four touchdowns. However, Rattler has also been a big part of South Carolina’s turnover problem by throwing seven interceptions in the Gamecocks’ first five games.

South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler (7), the former Oklahoma Sooners starter, has thrown for 1,121 yards this season but has also thrown more interceptions (seven) than touchdowns (four).
South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler (7), the former Oklahoma Sooners starter, has thrown for 1,121 yards this season but has also thrown more interceptions (seven) than touchdowns (four).

On the spot

Mark Stoops. With Kentucky coming off a dispiriting defeat at Ole Miss, it is incumbent on the UK head man to impress on his team that none of the Wildcats’ big-picture goals were rendered unreachable by the outcome in Oxford and to get the Cats emotionally “back up” for South Carolina.

The mood

Is frustrated. The Big Blue Nation is heavily invested in the idea that 2022 can be “a special season” for Kentucky football. The road to making that a reality narrowed with UK’s loss at Mississippi — in a game that was right there to be won. A solid showing vs. South Carolina would be a step in UK getting its fan base back in a positive frame of mind.